José del Avellanal Carreño (*1998) is a Spanish composer, performer and light designer working at the crossroads of contemporary music, multimedia art and experimental music theatre. The conceptual dimension of the musical performance, connection with political themes of our age, use of sonic and audiovisual archives, engagement in collaborative and interdisciplinary practices, and a concern by the adequate and ethical use of technology play a central role in his work, as well as themes such as memory and identity.

​

His music, including instrumental, electronic, multimedia, and theatrical works, has been showcased in festivals such as Echi (IT), impuls (AT), Rümlingen (CH), Contemporáneas (ES), Foresty (IT) and SONIC MATTER (CH); and performed by, amongst others, JACK Quartet, Vertixe Sonora, Les Percussions de Strasbourg, Ex-Sentia Ensemble, SPECTRA, Ensemble Shockwave and Levy Lorenzo. He was awarded the Music Prize of WE:NOW Festival in Madrid (ES, 2022) and was selected for the artistic residencies "Bijloke Summer Academy“ in Ghent (BE, 2025). His debut album Letanía del frío, developed in collaboration with guitarist Martín Sanhueza and producer Joan Arnau Pàmies, will be released in 2027 by Protomaterial Records.

 

His activity as a performer is mainly focused on the voice and electronics from an experimental context, and as part of his work as light designer he has been involved in pieces and shows at Shanghai Concert Hall (CN), TD Theater (DE), Musikfestival Bern (CH), Tanzhaus Basel (CH), St. Cecilia's Hall (UK) and 48 Stunden Neukölln (DE), amongst others.

​​​

After completing his composition studies at the Hochschule der Künste Bern (CH) and the Royal Northern College of Music (UK) with Simon Steen-Andersen, Franziska Baumann, Emily Howard and Steven Daverson, José is currently based in Berlin, where he works as a freelance composer, performer, light designer and technical assistant in creative projects.